Automatic sprinkler system.



J. P. CASEY.

AUTOMATIG SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1907.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. P. CASEY.

AUTOMATIU SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 1'53. 9, 1907.

Patented May 25, 1909.;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. lnvent'or:

.which the foil PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES P. CASEY, OFzSl. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

A.1ZTTOJKLATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed February 9, 1907'. Serial No. 356,643.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that'l, JAMES CAsEY, a citi' zen of the United Stateaand a r sidentor the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefu. improve ment in Automatic Sprinkler Systems, of

owing. is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic sprinkler systems.

In sprinkler systems now in general use, the pressure therein is kept above or below the normal pressure of the water in the serv' ice pipes connected to the city main or to a pressure tank specially provided therefor near or on the roof of the building. .lhere are two different systems in general use, dis tinguished as wet pipe and dry pipe systems. In the former, the pressure in the pipes of the house system is maintained in excess of the, pressure in the service pipe which communicates with the system 7 pipes through a check valve. In the dry pipe system, the air pressure therein is kept lower than the water pressure in the service pipe, which communicates with the system pipes through a pressurea-egulated valve, said valve being held in check by the air pressure in the system pipes. Pressure gages are provided to indicate the pressure in the pipes of both systems, and said gages are provided with electrical contacts or stops arranged in the path of the indicator or pointer. These contacts are in a normally open electrical alarm circuit and so arranged tl'iat-when the pressure in the system pipes is raised or lowered by the opening of a sprinkler head or heads, the circuit is closed. and an alarm is sounded or indicated, usually at the headquarters of a salvage corps or a lire engine house. By the usual arrangement of elec trical circuit, the alarm continues to sound until responded to and until a switch. is opened or the circuit otherwise broken.

' It often happens that it is not practicable to recharge or reset the system until after the lapse of considerable time, and it has heretofore been the practice merely to close the sprinkler heads until thesystem shall have been recharged. During the intervening time until the system is recharged the permanent alarm is dead or ineii'ective, and, if a sprinkler head should open during such time, no alarm would. be sounded. llenco, considerable property loss would. be entailed before the salvage corps would be notified.

he object of the present invention is to l l l l r provide for the sounding of an alarm during the existence of conditions in the system under which the alarm has hitherto been dead.

it consists principally in a supplemental alarm attachment hereinafter fully described. it also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinatter described and. claimed.

in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a diagram of an ordinary arrangement of automatic sprinkler system, commonly known as a dry-pipe system, and showing an ordinary electrical alarm device; Fig. 2 is a diagram of an ordinary arrangement of automatic sprinkler system, commonly known as a wet-pipe system, and showing an ordinary electrical alarm device; Fig. 3 is a vie. Y showing the manner in which the present supplemental alarm attachment is applied; and, Fig. i is adetail view oi the contact member of the supplemental alarm attachment.

The dry-pipe system illustrated in Fig.1 of the drawings comprises a riser-pipe 1 from which extend branch pipes 2. The branch pipes 2 usually extend throughout the building and they are provided with sprinkler heads or nozzles 3. These sprinkler heads are arranged to open at a predetermined tcmperature. The riser-pipe 1 is connected to a service pipe 4 by a valve casing 5. The casing 5 contains a pressure-controlled check-valve which is arranged so that when the system pipes are draine a relatively low pressure of air in said system pipes will hold in check a greater pressure of water in the service pipe. In a dry-pipe system, the house pipes are charged with compressed air, usually up to 20 or 30 pounds pressure, The ordinary pressure-controlled chock-valve will hold in check or pounds water pressure in the service pipes. A gage 6 is employed to indicate the air-pressure. This gage, as shown in the drawing, is attached to the drain pipe 7 which is provided with a valve 8. The valve 8 is kept tightly closed after the system pipes have been drained. A pet-cock 9 and removable plugs 10 are provided for openings in the valve casing 5, so that said casing may be drained, and to facilitate the valved pipe 11 is connected to the riser-pipe l for the attachment of a suitable air-pump of the Water in the service pipe.

for increasing the air pressure in the system pipes. The service pipe 4 p. *ided with s gste islve 12. This valve is k open st all times exceptwhen necessary to orein the system pipes, or to cut oil I 1e flow of water through said pipes after at sprinkler head or iustrsteo in in the Wet-pipe e pipe is 3 lir 2 of the drawing the se video. with e check-valve o and a gate-- valve 12 The riser-pipe l is connected to the gete-vslve casing, and has hrench pipes 2 extending tl'ierefrom which are provided with sprinkler heads 3 A pressure o attached to the iser-pipe 1 and said riserpipe also has connected thereto e valved pipe 11*. 1

in e Wet-pipe system, the pipes are kept filled with Water -ch is maintained under pressure in excess of the pressure in the service pipe beyond the check-valve The excess pressure is pumped into the sys tern pipes through the pipe 11, and the gate-valve is kept normally open, the some amount of excess pressure is maintained in the service pipe e on the i er side of the check-valve whereby the some is heid against the Water pressure on the opposite side.

In a. Wet pipe system, when the sprinkler head or heads open, the excessive pressure in the house s steni pipes is reduced to less than the pressure of the Witter in the service pipe, whereupon the check valve 5 is overbolsnced and opened by the pressure The Water from the service pipe is then free to iiow through the systempipes the getsvslve 12 is closed menu ally.

In both systems, the pressure 6 and (i respectively, are provided with electrical contacts or steps 13 which are orrenged to arrest the movement of the pointer when the pressure varies beyond 3. certein degree. These contacts 2.3 are suitably insulated from the metallic portions of the and are connected by wires 14 to the pivot s* pport of the pivoted switch biedes 15. The switch blades are arranged to he moved into and out of engagement with the bifurcated contect members 16 which are connected by Wires 1? to the magnets of electricsl alarm bells 18.

Wires i9 connect the bell magnets to one .pole of betteries 20, While the opposite poles of the DitttfiilfiS are grounded on the motel Water pipes through Wires 'lne case 1 snown in the dry-pipe system. is provided with two contacts 13. (me of these contacts arranged to srrest the pointer when the air is displaced by the water, end the pressure in the pipes increased to that of the'Wa-tor when heed opened. The other contact is arranged to arrest the pointer when the air pressure decreases, if there is a leak in the system. pi Thus, on elm-iii may be given in a sprinkler heed opens, or in case the pressure shoi decrcose to such a. degree that the water i'roin the service pipes could overheii ice the che ;-.k-va.lve 5 and enter the system pipe. The gage shownin connectic-n with the wet-pipe system provided with e single contact, es the pressure norrncily Insintsl=d in such systems is in ex cess of the pn sure in the service-pipes, end, consequently, an alarm necessarily sounded on vhen said excess pressure decreases.

The foregoing eriplenetions are made to set forth the operation or" the automatic sprinkler systems now in common use, and to facilitate e better understanding; of my invention.

As hereinbefore steted, the permanent elsrni device is inoperative af er a sprinkler head has opened end before the system pipes have been rechsrgeri to normal pressure. The present invention coinprehends a supple nientsl slerrn attachment to be temporarily substituted in piece of the permanent alarm device until the may be made effective. The suiplementel attachment comprises a detschecie member 22 Whichis forked and hes angular portions 23. The member 22 is secured to an insulation block 24 which is in turn attached to s slotted post 25. The slotteripost portion 25 is adapted to be fitted on the annular flanged portion 26 of the gage, end is fastened in position by e set-screw 27 Cm the angular portions 23 are secured resilient contact pieces 28 against Which edjusting screws 29 are arranged to hear. A Wire 30 attached at one end to the member 22 and has its other end attached to e connecting piece 31. This connecting piece 31 is formed With a rectangular body portion, having resilient "fingers or enguler extensions .2 hich can be fitted into the bifurcated contact member 16 of the switch. ebiy insulated. handle 33 is provided for the conneotin piece 31..

in eppiying the supplemental alarm ettechnient after 2. sprinkler system has been operated, it is only necessary to close the sprinkler heads which have been opened. Then if the pressure of the Water from the service pipes is not suiiicicnt to move the gage pointer from the contact, the transparent cover is removed from the gage and the pointer may then be sprung or bent to pass clear of the contact. When the pressure has been determined, or indicated, the forked contact member 22 is attached to the flange of the gage casing with its. angular p0rtions straddling the pointer, but withjthe combination with a contact pieces 28 spaced from said pointer. The spaces between the contact pieces 28 and the pointer may be varied by adjusting the screws 29. After the men'iber attached to the gage the connecting piece 31 is fitted with its linger portions 32 into the bifurcated contact member 16 of the switch, the switch blade 15 having previously been removed from engagement with said member 16 to break the circuit alter the been responded to. l

While the supplemental attachmenthas been illustrated as applied to the pressure gage of a sprinkler system, obviously, the 1 same may be applied to the pressure gage of the water-supply tank which is usually employed in connection with the service pipe from a city water main to supply the water to sprinkler systems; and the device may be used in other connections wherein it is desired to give an alarm when a variation in alarm had movable pointer or indicator.

Obviously, my device admits of considerable modification within the scope of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention and to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with a gage an alarm, an alarm circuit controlled by said gage and means for disabling the said circuit of the system, of a supplemental alarm device adapted to be operatively connected to said gage while said i circuit is disabled. j

2. In an automatic sprinkler system, the J pressure is indicated by a gage having a desire l l l l gage, an alarm, an alarm circuit controlled by said opening said circuit, of a device constructed to nected to said gage while the original circuit of the gage is open.

3. The combination with a pressure gage l having a movable indicator, contact devices l limiting the movement of said indicator, and means for disabling said indicator, of a sup plemental contact constructed to be operatively secured to said gage and cooperate gage and means for I supplemental alarm F be operatively con-p with said indicator while the first or normal contacts are disabled.

4. In an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with the system pipes which are charged to a predetermined normal pressure, of a gage for indicating the pressure within alarm attachment for said gage in circuit with said alarm device and arranged to sound said alarm when the pressure within the pipes varies beyond a certain degree, means to make said alarm attachment ineffective after said alarm has sounded until the pres sure in the pipes is restored to normal and the circuit is again rendered effective, and an 22 has been I l l l said pipes, an electrical alarm device, an!

i l l l 1 alarm attachment said gage to sound first or normal ciradjustable supplemental adapted to be applied to the alarm while the said cuit is open.

5. In an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with the system pipes which are charged to a predetermined normal pressure, of a gage for indicating the pressure within said pipes, an alarm device operatively connected to said gage, and adapted to operate when the pressure varies beyond a certain degree and is indicated by said gage, means whereby the circuit of said alarm device is disabled after sounding until the pressure in said pipes is restored to normal and the original circuit is again closed, and a supplemen" tal alarm device constructed to be operatively connected to said gage while the first mentioned device is ineffective and its circuit open.

6. In an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with the system pipes which ar charged to a predetermined normal pressure, of a gage for indicating the pressure within said pipes, a permanent electrical alarm device, an alarm attachment for said gage in circuit with said alarm device and arranged to cause said alarm device to indicate a varia tion from normal pressure -within said pipes beyond a certain degree, a circuit breaker in said permanent alarm circuit, and a secondary alarm attachment adapted to be adjustably mounted in operative relation to said gage in its released position and to said alarm device to indicate a further variation of pressure within said pipes until the pressurev is again restored to normal.

7. in an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with the system pipes which are charged to a predetermined normal pressure, of a gage having a movable indicator for indicating the pressure within said pipes, an electrical alarm device, an electrica contact member on said gage in the path of said mow able indicator and in circuit with said alarm device, whereby said alarm device will sound when the pressure in said pipes varies beyond a certain degree, a normally'closed circuit breaker in said alarm circuit, whereby said alarm device may be made ineffective after sounding until the pressure is restored to normal, and a supplemental electrical contact member adapted to be adjustably at tached to said gage in the path of said movable indicator and to be placed in circuit with said alarm device, whereby, said alarm device will sound upon a further variation in pressure in said pipes until the pressure is restored to normal.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 6th day of Feb, 1907. Y

I JAMES P. CASEY. Witnesses:

G. A. PENNINGTON, J. B. MEcowN. 

